Utah recently adopted legislation that regulates advanced recycling as manufacturing via the state’s House Bill 493. It is the 22nd state to do so.
Advanced recycling is a manufacturing process that uses chemistry to enable significantly more plastics to be recycled than traditional recycling technologies, including often hard-to-recycle films and mixed plastics, according to a March 16 press release from the American Chemistry Council (ACC). This helps displace the need for virgin resources to produce new plastics and reduces the amount of plastics destined for landfill and incineration.
The release notes that if Utah converts just 50% of the currently landfilled plastic feedstock in the state, it could generate nearly $156 million in economic output each year and upwards of 600 manufacturing jobs in Utah.
“Unique to Utah’s new law is that it recognizes independent, third-party certification systems to trace, measure and verify recycled plastics made from advanced recycling,” said Joshua Baca, vice president of plastics at ACC. “With HB 493’s passage, the United States is another step closer to becoming a global leader in developing a circular economy for plastics.”
In late 2021 the ACC’s Baca stated that “Consistent use of third-party certification standards is important for achieving 30% recycled plastic in plastic packaging by 2030, the first action in plastic makers’ ‘5 Actions for Sustainable Change.’” The “5 Actions” are concrete steps Congress should take to accelerate the growth of plastic recycling in the United States.
Chemical Processing noted in August 2022 that advocates contend advanced recycling is a step toward a circular economy and currently the best way forward to divert waste from landfills. Environmentalists argue the solution doesn’t tackle the enormity of the problem while also questioning the energy usage and emissions that result from the process.
